Congrats!

Congratulations to Karie and Nate!  The wedding was so beautiful and so much fun.

Succulent Love.

I MUST have a succulent wall like this at some point in my life.

And a raised bed planter like this...

So I can nurture awesome succulents like this...

And this.

Ode to Mustard

Over the past six months or so I've developed an ever-growing affinity for mustard yellow, well, anything.  And although I've amassed a variety of mustardy accessories and clothes, I have yet to integrate this wonderful color into a paint scheme in the apartment.  White walls, beware.

Might I also add that I've become somewhat of a connoisseur of the condiment itself?  I've always preferred mustard over that dastardly red sauce called ketchup, but lately I just can't get enough of the yellow condiment.  Though I love trying new types and flavors, I always seem to gravitate back towards my very favorite, spicy brown.

I was ordered to be dressed up and ready to go on a surprise date last night, so I chose my newest Anthropologie dress, mustard tights, and black heels.  It turned out that we were going to the San Francisco Ballet!  The whole night was wonderful...seeing the SF Opera House was amazing, with all of its ornate decor and lushness, and the ballet program was comprised of three totally different and unique acts:  one classical, the Haffner Symphony; one entirely modern, called Underskin; and Russian Seasons, a dance that fell somewhere between classical and modern but used color and music so uniquely. 

Watching the other attendees and their fashion choices was also a feast for the eyes.  I feel pretty cultured right about now.

Wise Keys

Cole brought these owl key covers back for me from Portland.  They make me happy. 

Plus, they smell like pool toys and/or the inside of VHS cases (a pleasing scent, to which Kendra can attest).

Our Bedroom on Apartment Therapy!

This morning one of my favorite design blogs contacted me to see if they could feature the painted wall in our bedroom on their site.  As if I'd say no!

The lovely post is here with a photo I shared of my scalloped-edge paint job.  It was worth the four hours and very sore arm and hand.  This is a technique I'd use again in our apartment with all of the walls that curve up to meet the ceiling--but I think it probably works best in a room that can stand a bit of whimsy.

Thanks for putting our bedroom in the limelight, Apartment Therapy!

Settling In

As of Saturday, we've lived in our new apartment for two weeks and I finally feel like we've settled in.  Meaning that most of my major projects have been accomplished, like painting the kitchen, bathrooms, and our bedroom and finding the perfect place for all of the furniture.  True to form, however, I already have a new list of projects forming in my head.  Now, if work could just stop getting in the way of my project time.

Upcoming projects include:

--Planning out and putting up our hallway photo wall.  I've assembled all of the frames and am planning on black and white photos as a unifying element.

--Reupholstering the dining chairs.  I've had the fabric for a month or two; I just need to find the time to start on this.

--Organizing and putting the finishing touches on the sunroom/craft room.  With luck, we'll get Cole a desk this week and everything will fall into place from there.

--Sewing a sink curtain for the bathroom and cafe curtains for the kitchen.  This is really a project for Cole and her sewing machine, but I picked out the fabric :)

--Potting and repotting lots of plants.  Our front steps are just begging for more greenery and succulents abound in our new neighborhood!  Free cuttings everywhere...

--Formulating a plan for our rooftop deck, hopefully with the help of our neighbors, who also love plants.  I've been fantasizing about growing vegetables up there and getting into beekeeping!  Our sunny roof is the perfect place for this.

Such Great Heights

Yesterday after work I walked (no, actually hiked) up to the top of Bernal Hill from our apartment.  I'd been up there once before but hadn't explored much.  Like most San Francisco parks, Bernal Heights Park is naturally beautiful.  All of the different wildflowers and succulents on the way to, inside, and from the park sidetracked me and I was wishing I was better at identifying them.  I would have loved to have been a botanist.  Or a linguist.  Because I love plants and languages.  But I digress.

Here's a photo tour of Bernal Heights Park, on a chilly, windy day!

A garden at the base of hill before you go up to the park.

Looking the other way from the garden towards the park.

Not at the top of the hill yet, but looking southeast towards the bay.

The view of downtown San Francisco.  You can just make out the Bay Bridge at the upper right.

Um, a park wouldn't be a park without some graffiti.

Looking toward our old neighborhood and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Shaded stairs.

Looking towards the top of the park.

Big hair after being out in the wind for an hour.

A garden on the way home.  I love poppies!